Nikola Jokic has said repeatedly that he only wants to play for the Denver Nuggets. And for now, we have had to take him at his word. But he'll have a chance to put his words where the money is this summer to sign a lucrative contract extension, keeping everyone's fears of Jokic bolting instead of next year on ice. But if he doesn't sign the extension quickly after the NBA Finals, the alarm bells need to start ringing in the Mile High City.
Jokic had the chance to sign a lucrative contract extension last summer, but he chose not to, instead delaying for a year so he could get more money. Fair enough. But after next year, Jokic will have only his player option for 2027-28, giving him a possible out from the Nuggets if he wants it. Per ESPN's Bobby Marks, Jokic is eligible to sign the extension the day after the NBA Finals end.
He has $214 million for three years, or $278 million for four years, sitting on the table. That's a lot of money to not jump at if he's happy with the Nuggets.
Could Jokic want to leave Denver if they duck the tax?
What happens if Jokic decides to test the waters and delay the extension signing to see what the Nuggets are going to do this offseason? What if the Nuggets don't make the roster as competitive as it needs to be, and they just waste a season of Joker and his prime?
If Jokic wants to win another championship, and the Nuggets make trades to save money and duck the luxury tax, it might upset him. And that could cause him to rethink whether he wants to continue playing, and how long. We all know he loves his horses and would probably be happy in Serbia at the track full-time.
Or worse, Joker plays for someone else. It seems unfathomable, and I hope it is, but you can't rule it out if the Nuggets pull moves like failing to re-sign Peyton Watson or trading Cameron Johnson, or more, to get the salary puzzle to fit under the luxury tax.
Joker's a three-time MVP and has finished in the top two in MVP voting for six years in a row. He's the Best Basketball Player in the World, and he deserves a full compliment around him. One thing Nuggets ownership needs to keep in mind is that Jokic's own contract is massive. The Kroenkes are paying the Jokic tax in that regard, too.
They already dodged the extra taxes for one season and took a downgrade moving from Michael Porter Jr. to Johnson. Hopefully, they dodge all of this speculation, and Joker just signs the extension day one, and we move on. Otherwise, the Nuggets could be on thin ice.
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